Just a quick report - we installed the new "Stainless Lobster" fridge controller with our new Frigoboat Keelcooling system last week.

So far, we are extremely pleased. There were some minor issues at install but the device seems to work as advertised and the company service is very fast. Since this is a brand new system I cannot do an apples to apples comparison between this controller and our old system.

With that said, it is really nice to be able to visualize the power consumption and have a running record of the last 24 hours Ah utilization, compressor time, and so on.

Its just two wires, one ethernet cable and another wire that goes to the circulation fan and thermocouple.

The instructions are pretty spartan and that could use some improvement but the install is very straight forward. However, be aware that it is only certified with a certain range of control modules.

Just a quick report - we installed the new "Stainless Lobster" fridge controller with our new Frigoboat Keelcooling system last week.

So far, we are extremely pleased. There were some minor issues at install but the device seems to work as advertised and the company service is very fast. Since this is a brand new system I cannot do an apples to apples comparison between this controller and our old system.

With that said, it is really nice to be able to visualize the power consumption and have a running record of the last 24 hours Ah utilization, compressor time, and so on.

Its just two wires, one ethernet cable and another wire that goes to the circulation fan and thermocouple.

The instructions are pretty spartan and that could use some improvement but the install is very straight forward. However, be aware that it is only certified with a certain range of control modules.

How about sharing what the unit told you . Maybe daily amp hours and a few specs on your box and your refrigeration system brand and model , size of your plate and so on . Always good to compare .

Regards John

We have an evaporator spill over system that uses a Frigoboat keel cooler, new last year. Obviously, evap is in the freezer area. About a total of 7 to 8 square feet combined fridge/freezer. Only about 2 inches of 27 year old insulation with 2 layers of pink board added to the bottom. Lid is covered on the inside with reflectex.

The fan and thermocouple are in the freezer compartment even though Stainless Lobster recommended to put it in the fridge area. Its been working fine.

We have used about 35-45 Ah a day in our southern florida winter and maybe 50-60 Ah in our non-air-conditioned boat during August in Annapolis. On very rare summer occassions, we may have seen 80 Ah used but I think that is because the top of the cooler not being completely sealed. I estimate the majority of the power savings was achieved through the new keel cooler plus the extra insulation at the bottom and not the SL - maybe 90%. However, maybe 10% energy savings is because of the stainless lobster. We were previously using 120 Ah a day in summer and 80 Ah in winter.

Is it any better than a Carel thermostat? I can't say since we have never had one but I CAN say that its nice to have a system that shows history and is easy to see what is happening at a glance. The questions I asked got answered very quickly, which I consider a big plus. The installation is super easy... once I got it tuned in, we have not had to touch it except one instance of a glitch when it seemed to stop working correctly. We reset it back to factory settings then reapplied our required settings and its been fine for months.

Thanks for the info what system did you have before the frigoboat ?
Insulation would really help a lot as you already know . As your cabin temps go up so do your amp hours , sure sign of needed insulation . It really is handy to have an amp hour meter just on the dedicated fridge power supply wire .

Thanks for the info what system did you have before the frigoboat ?
Insulation would really help a lot as you already know . As your cabin temps go up so do your amp hours , sure sign of needed insulation . It really is handy to have an amp hour meter just on the dedicated fridge power supply wire .

Regards John

Hi, we had what we think was a 15 year old air cooled Adler Barbour cold machine. We replaced it because it developed a leak that required us to keep refilling every 30 days or so. It would go from working fine to not working at all in about a day, even though I am sure it was leaking over the whole period.

We would love to replace our fridge insulation but the boat is only worth so much so its not a good investment. Besides, 50-70 Ah a day is completely manageable.

There are features, such as the automatic defrost, that we can't make use of because we are using it in the capacity of a freezer controller. However, the replacement fan and thermocouple is $50 so its cheap to keep a spare around. Since it uses a basic 3.5mm audio cable for the power and sensor it will be a piece of cake to replace when the time comes.